Historically, primary care has been the first line of treatment for those who experience co-occurring mental and chronic health conditions. Often termed “medically complex”, these patients have unique healthcare needs that require providers to operate above and beyond their typical practice. Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 Pandemic has added a new layer of complexity, leading many providers to continuously evolve in their approach to treatment. In this Community Conversation, we explored these practices for supporting medically complex patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Throughout the years’ terms for addressing the cultural factors in human communication have changed. How can we be more inclusive and engaging when we talk with someone from a culture different from our own? Cultural competence. Cultural humility. Cultural safety. What term do you use and why? The purpose of this community conversation is to help you explore your views and terms. Awareness and intention are powerful components of an engaging conversation between an individual seeking care and an individual providing it.

In this CFHA Community Conversation, Meghan Fondow and Bridget Beachy shared tips and tricks for students working in integrated care settings.

The PCBH Model has become the standard of practice for many behavioral health providers working in integrated care. While the PCBH Model is thought to provide a generalist approach to treating mental and chronic health conditions, the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) arose from a need to address these problems in a more systematic way. This has led to some confusion by providers as to which model best addresses the treatment of mental and chronic health conditions. Moreover, these models are highly complementary, and each play a vital role in patient-centered care. This community conversation focused on the PCBH Model, CoCM, and how providers working within these models can provide optimal care.